Friday "Fun"

This might be fun for Mom ... but Phoebe and I are not amused!  (Phoebe especially!)

P.S.  Mom says this little exercise is not for her own amusement.  (Yeah, right!)  She says it is actually to teach/reinforce our impulse control so that when we are out on walks and sniff something that smells appetizing, or if, in the house, while the humans are cooking or eating, they may drop something that we shouldn't have, we will remember that "leave it" means we shouldn't eat it or even sniff it too closely, no matter how yummy it smells.  Now, in fairness to Mom, she didn't tell us to "leave" these cookies.  She told us to "wait."  But even still - what is the point?  WE know she's going to let us eat the cookies.  SHE knows she's going to let us eat the cookies.  So why delay the inevitable?  Perhaps it is to give the cookies a chance to come to terms with the fact that they're about to be eaten?  

P.P.S.  The cookies were yummy!  Thanks, Mom.  I guess ... 

Tucker-iffic Thursday

Hi, everyone!  It's me, Tucker!  You know, the publisher and editor-in-chief of this blog.  The oldest, most responsible sibling.  The star, truth be told.  And I know what you're thinking ... it's been way too long since you've seen me.  How long has it been?  Well, it's been eight days ... I checked.  And in case you don't remember ... HERE IS WHAT I WAS DOING THE LAST TIME YOU SAW ME.

Look familiar? 

Hey, what can I say?  Being the star is hard work! 

P.S.  A couple of you have asked what happened to our BLUE BED. Well, I am not a tattletale.  So I won't tell you that when A CERTAIN ENGLISH BULLDOG (hereafter referred to as A.C.E.B.) had to come to our office for a week while her dad was out of town (her mom works with our mom) not only could we not come to work all week (well, we could but we really didn't want to because A.C.E.B. plays rougher with us than we enjoy) but she also happened to want to lay down on our bed and got all her bulldog stink and a goodly portion of bulldog drool all over it.  Now, we are not prejudiced against Bulldogs.  We have met some very nice ones in fact, and Mom says that she has some wonderful memories of some Bulldogs she knew when she was a little kid.  You know, back when there were dinosaurs and stuff.  But we like our own stink, thanks very much, and we are not all that much for drool as  a general rule.  So we, very nicely I thought, gave her the bed to take with her when she left.  And we got the nice new one I am resting in right now.  I have to admit, I do kind of miss the big blue bed.  But this new one is pretty nice, too.  The sides are, it turns out, quite convenient for resting one's head on.

Have a great day, everybody!  And try to sneak a nap in some time today if you can ... it really does make you feel better!  Plus, I am pretty sure that when I wake up from a nice nap I look even more adorable than I did when I went to sleep.  It doesn't seem possible but I swear it's true!



The Miracle of a Second Chance

As 2011 comes to a close and we look forward to the New Year, I am, as I do every year about this time, beginning to think about my New Year's resolutions.  I have a list started, and some of the items on the list are pretty trivial in the scheme of things (clean out every closet in the house, learn how to make a really good risotto), and others that are not so trivial.  I won't share all of them with you here, but one very important one I actually already blogged about a few days before Christmas.  

And then on Christmas Day, I happened to have been made aware of a little dog named Scout who needed my help. 

Photo credit:  Heidi's Legacy

 I made a donation of course, and in the past, that would probably have been the end of it.  As I said in my previous post about Scout, asking for help is not something I'm very good at.  I'm more a go it alone type of girl.  But this help isn't for me, it's for Scout.  And the truth is, Scout needs more help than I am able to give right now.  Which is why I'm turning to all of you.  For a little over a year now I've been a part of this wonderful world of animal bloggers, and I've seen the miracles that can happen when a bunch of like-minded people get together.  I've been honored and humbled to play a small part in  some of the miracles that others of you have wrought, and now I'm asking for your help in making a miracle happen for Scout.  If you can make a donation (which I know some of you have already done, and I thank you!), that would be wonderful.  But if you can't, that's ok, too.  All I ask is that you put the word out on your own blogs and FB pages, so that maybe this message will reach someone who IS able to donate, since as of right now, Scout is still $491 away from her goal.

Scout has a wonderful foster family who is lovingly caring for her as she recuperates from a broken leg, a very painful injury which actually got her mistakenly labeled as a fear biter and unadoptable in the shelter she was in, and was nearly responsible for her never making it out of that shelter alive.  When I think about this it just tortures me.  Imagine being in such tremendous pain from an injury as serious as a broken leg, and having people not only not realize that you were injured and in pain, but also assign you a false label such as "fear biter" as a result.  

From all accounts, Scout is a bright, happy dog who, now that she is on the road to recovery, is enjoying socializing with other dogs and loves her foster mom.  With any luck, she will make a full recovery from this injury and go on to be adopted by a wonderful family who will love and cherish her, the way I do Tucker, and of course, Phoebe, who is herself an alumni of the very same rescue, Heidi's Legacy, that is currently fostering Scout.

Recently, I came across one of the photos of Phoebe that her foster mom sent me when we were working to finalize the adoption:

Adorable, right?  And check out that CURL!

And here are some of my favorite more recent photos of Phoebe.  (Notice the curl is still very much in evidence!)  

Phoebe back then was adorable no question.  But Phoebe now?  What a difference!  And the difference is that now, unlike when that first photo was taken when she was in her foster home, there is the confidence born of feeling loved and secure shining out of her eyes.  Not that Phoebe's foster mom didn't love her.  She loved her very much,  I know. But now, almost four years later, those frightening days in a large, overcrowded shelter are, I hope, all but forgotten.  Phoebe is very dearly loved, and she knows it.  She wakes up loved every day, and at night the last thing she hears before she falls asleep is my voice wishing her sweet dreams.  Through the efforts of Heidi's Legacy, she went from being "just another dog" in a high kill shelter facing a very uncertain future to a dog whose future, I hope, holds nothing but love and happiness, or at least it will if I have anything to say about it.  Every dog deserves a happy ending like the one that Phoebe, thanks to Heidi's Legacy, is living.  Unfortunately not all of them will get it.  But little Scout is already well on her way, and she just needs a little help from us to make her dreams of that rosy future a reality.

Meanwhile, Phoebe has dug all of her toy and treat money out from under the sofa cushions or wherever it is she's been hiding it, and has purchased some raffle items that she would like to give away to a random winner.  All you have to do to be entered to win is make a donation of at least $20 to Scout's ChipIn, leave a comment at the Chip In page mentioning Phoebe's name, and leave a comment here.  We'll announce the randomly drawn winner  here on January 2nd.

Item #1:  Interactive Toy Basket for Dogs, a $40 value

This basket contains two interactive toys (a Tug-A-Jug and a Twist N' Treat) and a bag of Zuke's Naturals treats, suitable for training or for use in either of the toys). 

Photo credit:  www.organicpetboutique.com

Item #2: Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook Kit (with 3 cookie cutters), a $20 value 

 

Photo credit:  www.organicpetboutique.com

The winner will receive both of these items, not just one.  

NOTE:  Because Scout is a dog and not a cat, I chose dog appropriate raffle items.  However, if you want to help Scout but live with a cat or cats, know that it is not my intention to leave you out.  If you should make a donation and should win the drawing, you will receive a $60 gift certificate to Organic Pet Boutique and they do have many very nice cat-appropriate items for you to choose from, in which case, since Phoebe has already chosen and paid for these items, we will draw a second winner and award two prizes.  Sound fair?

P.S.  If you have ALREADY donated, all you need to do is comment and let me know so I can enter you into the drawing.

Hoping for a Christmas Miracle ...

Everyone ... I'd like you to meet Scout. 

 Scout is currently in foster care with Heidi's Legacy, which happens to be the very same rescue organization to which I personally owe a huge debt of gratitude, as they are the ones who pulled Phoebe (then called Gissel) out of a Miami shelter, got her into a foster home, and then allowed me to adopt her.

Adorable little Scout was, herself, left at a kill shelter and, having been labeled a "possible fear biter," it was doubtful that she would make it out.  However, Scout's foster family saw her, and offered to help her through her issues, whatever they might be, and so she was able to be saved.  Once out of the shelter, though, it was determined that one of Scout's little legs was broken, and was obviously causing her intense pain, which was undoubtedly what was causing the alleged "fear biting" problems. Scout has now had surgery, and it is reported that despite the pain she is still in as she recovers, she is a very sweet little dog who hopefully will make some lucky person or family very happy once she is recovered enough to be adopted.  Scout's orthopedic surgery and follow up care will total close to $1,000 at the present estimate and that, my friends, is where you come in. 

A link to Scout's Chip In page is HERE and as of this writing, Scout is still about $700 short of her goal of $1,000.  I know how great the blogging community is about getting the word out about animals in need, and it would mean a lot to me if you would all spread the word about Scout.  I know it's the holidays, I know that money is tight for many of you, and frankly, it's rather difficult for me to put this out there.  Asking for help is, actually, not something I'm particularly good at.  But although I'll probably never meet Scout in person, her plight nonetheless feels very personal to me because she is being fostered by the very same organization whose selfless work on behalf of animals in need made it possible for Phoebe to be rescued, and for me to adopt her, Phoebe who is lying next to me on the couch as I write this, lying, actually, on top of Tucker who is lying next to me, as she does almost every night, and every now and then when I reach down to cup my hand over the small, warm dome of her head, her little tail switches back and forth in response, even in her sleep. 

This peaceful, happy scene of love and contentment would not have been possible without Heidi's Legacy.  Because of this wonderful organization, Phoebe's life, and mine, and Tucker's, were forever changed for the better.  And now, because of them, little Scout has gotten the surgery she needed, and is receiving the loving care of her foster family as she recovers.  And maybe some day very soon, she'll be adopted by a family who will love her every bit as much as I love Phoebe.  This is important work that this organization is doing.  Lifechanging.  Indeed lifesaving, for the many animals they have stood in the gap for since the organization was founded in 2002.  Please consider giving whatever you can spare to further their cause and help little Scout, and please pass the word along on your own blogs and Facebook pages.  Let's get Scout her Christmas miracle.

Season's blessings,  

Tucker, Olivia, Tanner, Phoebe, Finn, and The MP

Hostess gift for dog lovers

What do you take as a hostess gift to a holiday party when one of the co-hosts of the party is a canine?  We helped Mom make this festive Christmas tree for our Labrador friend, M.  Shh, don't tell him, but we ate one or two of the cookies.  

Merry Merry everyone!